The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

21.05.2012 Viasna launches campaign to monitor penal system

All information concerning the analysis of penal law and penal system monitoring will be published in a thematic section on the website of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”.

The section’s expert is lawyer Pavel Sapelka.

Here is an article by Pavel Sapelka, dealing with the urgency of the issue of human rights violations against people in custody, those serving sentences and held in other institutions.

21.05.2012 Baranavichy human rights defender urges MPs to humanize penal legislation

Mrs. Anzhalika Kambalava, member of Baranavichy office of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, has sent an open letter to chairman of the House of Representatives’ Legislation Commission Mikalai Samaseika, together with MPs Sviatlana Pishch and Anatol Vankovich, suggesting humanization of the country’s penal legislation.

10.05.2012 Salihorsk residents demand introduction of criminal liability for torture

Civil activists from Salihorsk addressed the Chamber of Representatives with proposals to introduce the notion of "torture" in the Belarusian criminal legislation, and criminal punishment for it. They also demand that the MPs start working out a law against torture.

27.04.2012 Belarusian MFA resists country’s accession to UN Convention on Enforced Disappearance

There is no need in Belarus’ signature of the UN International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, since its provisions are already enshrined in the domestic laws, says an official reply from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received by Mrs. Sviatlana Zavadskaya, the widow of Dzmitry Zavadski.

04.04.2012 "Young Front" addresses MPs concerning death penalty moratorium

Civil organization "Young Front", officially registered in the Czech Republic, addressed all members of the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus with the demand to initiate a voting on introducing a death penalty moratorium in Belarus.

02.04.2012 Baranavichy: attempt to protect right to fair election

Baranavichy-based entrepreneur and civil activist Mikalai Charnavus applied to the Baranavichy City Court with a request to find unlawful the re-election of the Council of the central market of Baranavichy. The matter is that the re-election wasn't conducted by the general assembly of the entrepreneurs, but by the administration of the market.

16.03.2012 Citizens campaign for secret vote procedures at Supreme Court

Over 250 appeals by Belarusian citizens have been submitted to the Presidential Administration and the office of Chairman of the Supreme Court, demanding to introduce secret voting at the Court’s sittings, says lawyer Mrs. Tamara Siarhei, leader of a civil initiative against unlawfulness in courts and prosecuting authorities.

14.03.2012 Viktar Karniayenka applies to state agencies in connection with foreign travel restrictions

Mr. Karniayenka has applied to the General Procuracy, the Border Committee and the Citizenship and Migration Department. He did it on advice of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee instead of applying just to the latter agency.

01.03.2012 Baranavichy authorities refuse to change their mind

A group of Baranavichy residents asked the Baranavichy City Executive Committee to review its ruling #1497 of 16 January 2009 and #2497 of 5 October 2009 for their de-bureaucratization. The appropriate appeal, filed in February, was signed by 56 people.

21.02.2012 Does Belarusian Code on Administrative Procedures correspond to international legal acts?

Human rights defender Siarhei Ustsinau has addressed the Constitutional Court of Belarus with an appeal demanding to assess the compliance of the Code on Administrative Procedures with the country’s commitments to secure the right to a fair trial.

15.02.2012 Soviet of Republic doesn’t support proposal of Homel oppositionists

The Administration of the President and the Soviet of the Republic rejected the request of Homel opposition to initiate proceedings at the Constitutional Court for putting the administrative legislation in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Administration of the President did not even consider the appeal filed by Uladzimir Katsora and Uladzimir Niapomniashchykh on its merrits and the Soviet of the Republic responded that the administrative legislation, namely the Procedural-Executive Code of Administrative Offences complies with the Constitution and the International Covenant.

14.02.2012 General Procuracy finds nothing wrong with Lukashenka's statements

Viktar Tsiapin, a member of the Belarusian Leftist Party “Fair World” from Baranavichy, received an answer from the General Procuracy of Belarus, signed by the head of law observance supervision department Pavel Radyionau, states that the General Procuracy doesn't possess any written evidence of violations of the electoral legislation during the registration of presidential candidates on 19 December 2010.

26.01.2012 Belarus might establish institution of ombudsmen

MINSK, 25 January (BelTA) – The institution of ombudsmen might be established in Belarus, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Belarus Piotr Miklashevich told reporters on 25 January, BelTA has learnt.

23.01.2012 Homel opposition activists address Constitutional Court

Homel pro-democratic activists Uladzimir Katsora and Uladzimir Niapomniashchykh have addressed the Constitutional Court of Belarus with a demand to provide legal assessment to the provisions of Article 8.4 of the Code for Administrative Procedures in their compliance with Article 25 of the Constitution and Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.